Cupidity
by Puckulence
Summary: "If Valentine's Day had a face, I would punch it." Marie Kanker hates Valentine's Day, but when she concocts a plan to win Edd's affections this year, will it turn out to be what it's cracked up to be? Happy Valentine's Day!
1. Chapter 1

**Note: I first want to point out that the name of the story is a play on words. The term cupidity is not put here because it's a mix of "stupid" and "cupid." XD The term cupidity is a term for greed, and I picked it because not only does it fit, but it does have the word "cupid" in it and this is a Valentine's fic. Secondly, I'd like thank everyone who had reviewed my stories and say that this is especially for you! :D R & R please and enjoy. Happy Valentine's Day!**

**Cupidity**

The second semester of the school year had started only a month ago, and now, due to the sun's warming rays stretching out towards the earth, January had melted away along with the snow and February had arrived. Calendars marked the day as February 13th, the day before St. Valentine's Day. At Peach Creek Jr. High, Valentine's Day was not being celebrated half-heartedly; the students were already feeling giddy and spouting their feelings of amour to each other in the forms of candy, flowers, and paper cards. The hallways of the middle school were covered in paper streamers and gaudy, heart-shaped decorations in various shades of pink and red, all adorned with corny words of love and romance.

Despite the holiday's popularity, not all of Peach Creek's students were thrilled. Marie Kanker had arrived at school that morning and immediately regretted it; she detested Valentine's Day. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate a day meant for the celebrating of one's love; she thoroughly enjoyed expressing her love every day of the week. Instead, she hated how the card companies had taken such a lovely idea and made it into something artificial. And very, very pink.

Now Marie, along with her two sisters, were leaning against the rows of dull blue lockers. Marie was pouring over a car magazine while she chewed on her bubble gum as usual, while Lee and May bickered about something having to do with bobby pins. She tuned them out to the best of her ability as she flipped through the pages and admired a six-cylinder engine. When she reached the end of the magazine, Marie shut it carelessly and threw it over her shoulder, where it crashed into the lockers and slid onto the floor, pages splayed wide open. She shut her eyes tightly, stretched out her arms while she yawned loudly. While she was stretched out, she felt a sharp, pointy elbow that she knew belonged to her older sister ram her in the ribs.

"What, Lee?" she asked, mid-yawn, her scratchy voice sounding oddly muted. Marie slumped back into her typical posture and threw a glance in her sister's direction. She was too tired to retaliate.

"Looky here, Marie," Lee grunted, a teasing smile on her face. She jabbed a long, red fingernail in the direction of a group of kids their own age. Marie raised her eyebrow, more out of instinct than real interest, but she felt her flesh begin to tickle as she realized what her sister was gesturing to.

Huddled together like usual were the Eds, the objects of the Kankers' affection and torment. They stood beside some large, oddly-shaped case that had apparently spilled its contents across the tile floor. Eddy, the shortest and self-proclaimed leader, was yelling about something (nothing out of the ordinary), face flushing red as he waved some object through the air. Ed, the tallest and most certainly the simplest, was looking at Eddy with a look of innocent confusion plastered across his face. Lastly, Edd, the gap-toothed voice of reason of the boys, had his arms folded across his chest and a look of pure, proud defiance etched into his features. Marie felt her mouth slide into a long, catty grin; she loved it when Edd stood up for what he believed in, whenever he grew a spine. It was so attractive.

"Aren't they just the cutest?" May had slunk behind them and was now swooning too. She clasped her hands together and sighed in that awkward way she had while the three girls watched their "boyfriends" argue.

"Yeah," Marie answered dreamily. She suddenly felt much better, warmer and somehow more energized. She could feel herself growing amorous, and she smiled as her mind hatched an excellent idea. "Maybe we should just go show them how much we love them?"

"Good idea, Marie," Lee said, and she giggled, although the sound came out sounding more sinister than sweet. She punched the nearest locker and it came flying open. She peered in and began to fluff her fiery curls, primping. May examined her rather large teeth for any imperfections, Marie reached into her pockets and pulled out a compact and lipstick, applying the Russian red color liberally across her lips; she liked to leave her mark on her man. The girls looked at each other, movements already synchronized, and then grinned, not unlike a group of hyenas about to move in on their prey.

"…gotta be so stupid, Ed?" Eddy was saying, voice very loud and very annoyed. He threw his hands out in desperation for a good answer from his very simple friend, dropping the gadget onto the floor, where it shattered.

"Another creation," Edd sighed, disappointed, "ruined. Alas, will things ever go in an orderly conduct?"

"…if you'd just learn to stop touchin' stuff, Lumpy!" Eddy crossed his arms for emphasis.

"What?" Ed said, still smiling but voice showing that he was evidently not listening. He showed off his toothy grin to Eddy, whose head fell into his head as he groaned, having grown weary of his friend's stupidity.

"Never mind, Ed. Hey, Double Dee, what did this doohickey _do_ anyway?" Eddy jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and leaned against the locker next to his.

"Well," Double Dee said as he crossed over to Eddy. He closed the case and propped it neatly inside the locker before shutting the door. "It was the central part of that scam you concocted this morning. It was supposed to-"

"ED, what're you doing?" Eddy had interrupted Double Dee to scold Ed, who appeared to be scraping something off of a nearby water fountain.

"Ed, don't do that! That's not-" Edd started, but he stopped abruptly as he felt the presence of another body. He slowed to a stop and turned around, only to be mere inches away from the face of Marie Kanker.

"Hiya, Double Dee," Marie spoke shrilly; she was pretty excited. She tucked her arms behind her back, too innocent of a pose for a girl like her.

"Ohuh, M-Marie…" Double Dee said nervously, eyes very wide and nervous. He gave her a wide, edgy grin.

Marie smiled, mouth curling up at the ends like a cat, as she began to press forward. Double Dee backed up as she attempted to get closer until he came slamming into Eddy's locker. She braced her hands against the locker doors; she had him pinned. Sweat began to roll down his forehead as he feared for what was to come and his eyes darted about, panicked. He was looking for Ed and Eddy, but all he saw was an abandoned hallway.

Marie gave a cursory glance and then shrugged. "Sisters must've dragged 'em off already." Then she batted her painted eye and leaned in closer to his face. "But that's really not that important, is it?" Her strident giggling topped it off.

"Um, Marie, m-maybe this isn't the best…time?" Double Dee knew he was grasping for straws, but he figured that he had to try something, lest be kissed _and_ feel like a failure.

She shifted her weight and brought one soft, pale hand to his clammy face. She stroked his cheek in an abnormally loving way that only creeped him out more. "Oh, I think it's a perfect time." With her verdict given, Marie puckered her red lips and leaned towards his face.

Double Dee squeezed his eyes shut and grimaced, preparing himself mentally the best he could. He waited and waited, but the feeling of her wet lips never came. Out of curiosity, he cracked open one eye and looked to see Marie no where in sight. Where she went, he had no idea, and how he had not heard her leave was an equally intriguing event. He looked back and forth down the hallways, expecting to see her creeping behind a corner or waiting to ambush him in the girl's locker room, but he never saw any of these. With a look of perplexity, Double Dee scurried from the spot and towards his next class, wondering all the while how he had gotten so lucky and if his friends had been as fortunate.

Double Dee had been right about one thing: Marie had retreated to the ladies' room. She stood over the sink, staring into her own eyes in the mirror. She had decided to postpone her kissing until later, which was a difficult task when she always had the urge to kiss Double Dee when she saw him.

While he had stood here, shaking like a leaf and fearing for his innocence, Marie had thought of a different plan, one much better than her original. She had quickly thought about how tomorrow was Valentine's Day and then made her decision as easily as if it had been what color to paint her nails: tomorrow she would win over Double Dee.

Marie wasn't a fool; she knew damn well what that wide-eyed face of Edd's meant. He was scared of her. Even if this fearful relationship was good enough for her sister's, Marie sometimes wondered what it'd be like to have him look at her with that goofy grin he gave other girls, or what it'd be like to actually _be kissed by_ him. Would he be the cuddly, romantic, hand-holding type? A lover of PDA? Or perhaps he was terribly private and would request alone time? Her mind could go running far away with thoughts like these, and she knew that if she ever wanted to know, she would have to change her approach a little bit.

So, as she had stood there, hardly even an inch away from her love's face, Marie had decided that she'd give her "Kanker charm" the old college try. Tomorrow, on Valentine's Day, she would come looking nicer than usual. When she saw him, she wouldn't pay him any mind at first-she knew that drove men crazy-and, when the time was right, she'd go in for the kill. She'd be her regular self, only… a little slower-paced. She believed that her plan was really going to work, and it thrilled her. Perhaps persuasion really was better than force.

Marie smiled to herself as she spun around and headed for one of the empty stalls. She took a seat on one of the toilets, legs tucked into her chest, chin resting on her knees. She shut the door and her eyes focused on the engravings on the stall door. She was responsible for most of them. Her signature handwriting, a heavily slanted scrawl, had scribbled down many odes and insults. She grinned at some of them and actually laughed at one or two. Now, as she sat in the stall again, she extracted a red ink pen from her pants and began to scratch in something new.

"Marie…loves…Eddward," she mumbled quietly as she etched it into the door. Honestly, she knew that it wasn't really "new," but she felt that it was appropriate on the day before Valentine's Day. She began to draw a big, pointy heart around their names as an unfamiliar message caught her eye. Marie cocked her head to the side as she read. "Sarah + Double D?"

She blinked for a minute and then realized that Sarah was Big Ed's younger sister, the girl who sincerely thought that she had permission to lay hands on her Edd. She scowled at the pink writing and wondered if Sarah herself had written, suspicions safely confirmed as she noticed that the handwriting was too nice to be hers and not bubbly enough to be that Nazz girl's. Jealous anger began to bubble inside her, and Marie reached her arm up and began to scratch out the blasphemous message. She grit her teeth and made sure that all that was visible was a big, red mess. Proud, Marie capped her pen and kicked open the bathroom stall.

As she stood in front of the mirror, she decided that she would make it clear for Sarah or any other girl that Edd belonged to her. She exchanged her pen for her red lipstick she was donning and began to draw a much bigger version of what she had inscribed on the stall door.

"There," Marie said, stamping her masterpiece with a seal of approval. Her magnum opus of school graffiti. Her and Double Dee's names, connected in one large red heart. She gave the mirror a broad smile and mussed her hair in the mirror.

Marie knew that she was selfish, that she lied and that she would cheat to get what she wanted. She knew that she was territorial of Double Dee and did her best to constantly remind others that this Edd was her property.

Marie took a final look at the mirror before deciding to go down to the boiler room instead of going to her math class.

"I'm really sorry," Double Dee said to Eddy. He was diligently working to wash off the lipstick marks on Ed's face as he spoke. "I had no idea where you two went!"

"Riiiiiiiight," Eddy shot back, not caring and not buying it. "We called for help, Romeo, but you were just there, drowning in your puddle of gross Kanker love."

"Oh, hush!" He scrubbed harder on Ed's face, who chuckled and began to twist and turn. "Ed, _please_."

"But it tickles, Double Dee," Ed chortled out. Double Dee sighed with impatience and turned to face Eddy as he threw away the contaminated paper towel.

"I really didn't hear anything Eddy… how was I supposed to? Marie's…terrifying…"

Eddy waved him off and scoffed. "I swear Lee's a thousand time's worse…can't even see her eyes…chicks…who can figure 'em?" He began to violently rub off the stains of lipstick off of his face.

Double Dee adjusted his clothes in the mirror. He was still wondering why Marie had decided to up and leave. He didn't trust her, and he knew from experience how she could surprise him in the most horrible ways. He shuddered at the thought and adjusted his tie out of nervousness. His imagination was starting to get ahead of him, he told himself. There was nothing to worry about. He had lucked out today and nothing worse was going to happen. He grinned at himself in the mirror and saw how truly worried it looked.

Double Dee glanced down at his watch and gasped; they were going to be late for class. He gathered up his things and called to his friends. "Um, gentlemen, I believe we're going to be tardy if we don't hurry?"

Ed and Eddy returned his comment with blank stares.

Double D looked at his friends, discontent written all over his face. "…Right-o… I'm going to class now."

The rest of the school day seemed to drag on, every class feeling hours long. Marie sat in her last class, drumming her fingernails on the desktop as the clock ticked by in slow motion. She stared down the minute hand, willing it to go faster and let her out of this personal hell.

The obnoxious bell rang loudly, and Marie's face broke out into a smile. She stood and stretched, body stiff from being stuck in a desk most of the day. She scratched her face and pondered why she even showed up to class sometimes. She shook her head and reached into one of her pockets, digging around for a pack of gum. When she found it, she pulled out a piece, tore of the wrapper, and began to gnaw. Marie turned around to find her sisters still packing up their things and she tapped her foot out of impatience.

"…to, but I've got homework, Eddy." Marie raised her eyebrow and turned her head to see Double Dee conversing with his two friends. She blew a bubble and bit down on it, breaking it, as she watched them.

"Homework's for losers, Double Dee," Eddy was telling him as he smoothed back his hair. Marie grimaced; she didn't understand how the Eds got along sometimes.

"Hey, Marie!" Marie spun on her heel to retrieve her sisters. They were looking at her with mischievous expressions on their faces. At first, she did not entirely understand, but she soon saw the gleam in their eyes. She smiled and shook her head.

"As fun as that sounds…I'm tired. I'm just gonna go home."

May and Lee exchanged worried glances; Marie would never pass up quality time with her man. "Hey, Marie," Lee began to ask, concerned, "you sick or somethin'?"

Marie held her hands up and gave them a strange smile. "Nah, I'm fine, really. Just super tired."

"But, Marie!" May cried, unable to grasp her sister's out-of-character decision.

"Can it, May!" Marie yelled at her before giving her a hard shove into the wall. She didn't like being questioned. "I'll see you guys when you get home, okay?" Her voice had grown agitated and her face looked seriously annoyed.

May rubbed her arm shyly and looked over at Lee, who simply shrugged.

"What's wrong with Marie, Lee?"

"You think if I knew I'd just be standin' here, May? You think this is normal?" Lee shot back. She placed her hands on her hips as she watched their sister drift out of the room, walking right past the Eds and not even giving them a cursory glance. She shrugged again, answering her own question.

Marie, despite what her sisters were thinking, was not sick or even the slightest bit ill. As a matter of fact, Marie felt better than she had in months. She walked down the halls towards the front doors of the school with a wide smile, knowing full well that tomorrow was going to be the best Valentine's Day she had ever had. Her imagination began to run wild as she felt herself slip into her daydreaming state; her mind could only picture life after her plan's success. All she could think about was Edd's skinny arms wrapped around her in a loving, long-waited embrace and the taste of his equally loving and much-anticipated kiss. The latter of the two thoughts alone sent a shiver down her spine. She hugged her jacket to herself, eager for the sun to set and rise so she could make her dreams come true. She walked the entire way home this way, floating on the cloud her brain had created from possibilities. Marie didn't once think about what would happen if her plan failed, for her confidence in this was outstanding.

When her trailer was in sight, Marie broke into a sprint and ran into her home, slamming the screen door behind her. She flew to her bedroom, wanting to tweak her plans while she was still alone so no one would catch on. She shut the door and locked it, breathing heavy all the while. She sighed and crossed the room to the closet to begin rummaging. She reached towards the back and yanked something off an old wire hanger. In better lighting, it was a faded yellow number with some kind of pink pattern. Marie's lip curled as she looked at it, and she preceded it chuck it over her shoulder onto the floor.

"There is no way I'm going to school looking like that…" Marie said to herself. She knew that appearance was part of her top-notch plan; she had to look like herself, only a little nicer. She continued to search her quarter of the closet, feeling a little hopeless until she extracted something that looked very similar to her outfit she had worn to their school dance that year. It was dark and fit her image, but the skirt gave it a more feminine feel. Marie smiled, knowing that all was well now and she could sleep tonight. Her plan would sail smoothly.

She hung up her clothes and shoved the rejected outfits into a pile on the floor. Marie flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling her mind drift again. She closed her eyes and saw a picture show of her idealistic tomorrow. She could see herself being nicer, less rude and touchy…that part of her she had always possessed but never shown. She smiled as she saw her hands lock with Edd's as she leaned in, batting her eyelashes in that cute way other girls did. He was so close and willingly so. She pursed her lips just the slightest, a chill of anticipation running through her as-

"_Marie, open this door!_" Marie's eyes shot open as she heard the voice of Lee and a loud, obnoxious banging on the bedroom door. She scowled; they would never know what they had intruded on. She stood up and smoothed out her shirt, taking more time that she normally would have. _"Marie!"_

"Aw, quit your yappin', I'm coming…" She dusted off her hands and unlocked the door in one swift movement. She ignored her sisters' yelling and screaming and headed to the bathroom, only to lock herself in there to shower.

The following morning was a hectic one in the Kanker household. All three sisters had gotten up especially early to primp longer and prepare for this special day, the celebrated day of love. May stood in front of their vanity table, brushing her blonde hair and making sure she had pinned her barrette in the precise place. Lee was coming her red curls carefully. Marie was painting on her regular blue eye shadow, taking more time than usual. She bit her lip as she concentrated on making it look perfect.

"Hey, Marie, you're lookin' pretty dressed up today," Lee said as she curled a finger around a lock of her hair. She scanned her sister's clothing.

"Think I don't know that, genius?" Marie snapped as she moved away from the mirror. She ran a hand through her blue hair, but she lowered hand and cursed herself underneath her breath. She ran back into the bathroom and smoothed out her hair before immediately mussing it up again. Part of her argued that it was a signature thing for her, that unkempt hairstyle. The other half said that Double Dee liked it when a girl's hair wasn't flyaway, and that part inevitably won her over as she left the house with neater hair.

The girls walked to school together in a trio as usual, only today Marie had picked up her pace and was several feet in front of her sisters. They trailed behind her, confused by their sister's odd behavior. They felt inclined to ask her what she was doing and why, but they decided against it as it would probably lead to a fight.

Marie was a little surprised by how comfortable she felt in her nicer clothes. She didn't don a skirt and her exposed legs were unusually chilly. She zipped up her jacket farther up and stared at her sneakers as she walked faster. She recalled the time she and her sisters had taken the Eds captive in their house. The were thoroughly freaked out but accepted their hospitality, only to be thrown out by them later. She remembered how they had gone upstairs and changed into dressier clothing, only to be blown off by the boys. The thought unsettled her for a second, for she worried if her plan was all for naught. Perhaps Double Dee wouldn't appreciate her effort? She bit her lip and shook her head; she couldn't doubt herself now. It was too late to change her mind and too early to give up. She made a fist and smiled to herself, determined to go through with her plan and make it work.

When they reached the school, Marie hurried up the steps and slipped in through the door, leaving her sisters behind. She scurried to her locker and pretended to be fishing through it for books and the like as she listened for the sound of male voices. Sets of footsteps could be heard coming around the corner. Marie felt her breath catch in her throat and she swallowed hard, suddenly nervous. She continued to look through her locker for nothing in particular.

"…to girls, Sockhead?" Eddy's obnoxious voice was the first one she distinguished, and Marie girlishly waited to hear the others.

"Valentines are not tied down to solely the opposite gender, Eddy," Double Dee was saying with his typical lecturing tone. She heard the shuffling of papers as he said, "And here's your valentine, Ed!"

There was silence; she supposed that Ed was trying to figure out what was going on. "Aww, I love you too, Double Dee!"

"Eeeooh!" Double Dee must've been caught in one of Ed's death hugs. Marie giggled to herself and stood up straight before slamming the locker door. She was about to turn around when she heard the loud voices of her sisters. Paralyzed, Marie continued to listen to her surroundings. Her sister's heavy footsteps could be heard.

"Well, look at that," Lee cooed. "Our boyfriends!" May giggled and Marie knew what they were going to do.

"Kankers!" Eddy gasped. She heard him back into the opposite wall's lockers. Lee's scratchy voice was laughing as Eddy began to panic. Ed had began to do the same thing as May approached him. Marie was oddly thankful for her sister's audacious move. Now as the perfect time to set her plan into motion. Marie spun around and leaned against the lockers, looking nonchalant. She pulled out a piece of bubble gum from her shirt and began to chew. She stared at no particular thing as she blew a bubble.

From her peripheral vision, Marie could see Double Dee looking at his friends frantically as they were being harassed. His eyes were wide with worry, and when he finally saw Marie, he backed himself into the lockers. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as his eyes flickered away from her. Marie casually turned her head away from him and popped her bubble. She smiled on the inside as she saw his confused expression from the corner of her eye. He turned his shoulder to her shyly as if she was a stranger. Marie moved away from her locker and he drew away from her again. She acted as if she couldn't see him at all and walked down the hallway to the girl's bathroom.

As soon as the door had shut behind her, Marie put her hand to her chest. Her heart was beating rapidly. She couldn't believe that she had refrained, that she had actually stuck with her plan. She closed her eyes and replayed the scene, satisfied with herself. He had looked puzzled, and she was happy to see phase one of her plan complete.

Marie leaned in to the mirror and began to reapply her lipstick. She had to keep her cool, stay with her plan. If she broke away from it, even for just a moment, it could ruin everything. She kept her eye on the prize, the reward, the light at the end of the tunnel. Edd would be hers and only hers. She grinned like a cat at the thought. She recapped her lipstick and slinked to the bathroom door.

Cracking it open, she peered into the hallways, looking for some sign of the Eds. She could hear Eddy griping and Ed whining. She knew that her sisters had retreated for the boiler room; they must've just wanted a taste. She closed her eyes and sighed before slipping out of the door. She shut it quietly behind her and began to walk, shoulders back and eyes staring straight ahead. She strutted back to where her locker was and could feel the eyes of the Eds fixated on her.

Without even a glance, Marie continued to walk past them and to her first period class.

"Hey, wasn't that Marie Kanker?" Eddy said. He was wiping off lipstick marks on his face as he spoke.

Double Dee stood there, confounded. He tapped his chin as he thought about this morning and yesterday. "Yes…she was acting…peculiar, one might say."

Eddy scowled at him. "Who cares, you should be happy! At least your Kanker stalker is leaving you alone." He smoothed back his hair with his hand and then banged open his locker door to look at his reflection. "Stupid red lipstick…"

Double Dee felt his face fall slightly. "Well, let's not jump to conclusions, Eddy. Who knows why Marie's acting this way? My luck may not last…"

Eddy laughed at this. "She probably got bored with you, Egghead. I mean, you are pretty boring."

"I'm not boring!" Double Dee protested, voice growing high. He spun around to Ed, who was still scraping at his face in an attempt to get the stains off his face. "Am I boring, Ed?"

Ed looked as if he had not heard him and then said, "What, Double Dee?"

"See, Ed's too bored to care what you have to say." Eddy shrugged at this confirmation.

"I think not, Eddy."

"Think what you want, Sockhead, but I'd still be relieved. Since you're so boring," Eddy said as he began to walk to their class, "you don't have a psycho stalker anymore. I'd be thankful for that!"

Double Dee shook his head. "That's so… unlike Marie though."

"Hahaha, right. I don't know why she bothered with you this long anyway, Romeo."

Double Dee felt his shoulders slump as he followed his friends to math class. They filed in through the door and he took his seat in the front row quietly.

"That's preposterous…me? Boring?" Double Dee mumbled to himself. He studied that tabletop as he thought. "…and why is Marie ignoring me?"

This didn't make any sense to him. For as long as the Kankers had been in Peach Creek, Marie had been following him and smothering him. Then, as if someone had flicked a switch, she was completely cold. She walked past him as if he didn't exist, as if he was just some boy she'd seen once or twice. It bothered him, but Double Dee didn't know why. He knew that he should've been glad to not have her creeping on him, going through his things, kissing him… He brought his fingers to his mouth with that last thought. He remembered how she had caressed his face the other day before disappearing. His eyes fell heavy and he felt his mind slow, as if he was caught in some kind of dream sequence.

As he had been shocked, Double Dee shook his head and lowered his hand. He wrote off his reaction as confusion-yes, confusion that was it. That was why he was bothered by this situation with Marie Kanker. It was not because he was offended, but instead because he could not figure it out. He smiled with relief at his conclusion, but it faded away as fast as it had arrived. He still felt uneasy as he thought about the way she had walked away. He turned his head a little and peeked at the back of the room from the corner of his eye.

In the very back of the room sat Marie Kanker, sans sisters. She was filing her nails, legs crossed in an unusually ladylike way. He noticed her change of attire and how her hair looked smoother, not unkempt at all. Her lips were colored with her normal red lipstick, eyes shadowed a haunting shade of blue. He felt his face grow hot as she caught him looking at her and glued his eyes to the tabletop again. When he thought it safe to look, he glanced back at her, where she was looking directly at him. Feeling as if he had made a horrible mistake, he bit his lip and prayed that she wouldn't do anything.

Marie gave him a smile that looked more like a smirk and continued to file her nails in silence.

Double Dee turned around in his chair to face the board. Why was she acting so peculiar? Wouldn't she have typically made some kind of come-hither gesture? He twiddled his thumbs and grew a little frustrated. He didn't understand why she had grown so…so… He couldn't even put his finger on the right word for it. She wasn't distant, and it wasn't like he wanted her to close…

Double Dee blamed his concern on Eddy, who had claimed it was because he was boring. He had never thought himself a riot, but Double Dee never considered himself boring. He knew that sometimes he could ramble or talk about things no one else cared about… but Marie had always liked him regardless. He hadn't changed as of late, so what was the cause of her abnormal behavior?

This anomaly was going to eat at him until he figured it out. He knew that it was dangerous to talk to her, so he would have to watch and learn from afar. With this goal in mind, he looked towards the board and made sure he only thought of the simple math that was written there and not of his girl problems.

Lunch could not have come sooner for Marie. She was so thrilled, but the classrooms had been killing her high. She happily walked to the lunchroom and sat down next to her sisters, where they only stared at her.

"Hey…Marie."

"What, Lee?" No matter how happy she was, she was always going to treat her sisters the same way.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lee gave her a weird look, as if she didn't know who she was looking at.

"How many times do I gotta tell ya, I'm _fine._" Marie's voice was acidic as usual and she grimaced.

May shrugged at Lee, who had turned around to face her. They both shook their heads and decided to ignore her.

Marie had no problem with this. She took a bite of the apple she had stolen from some kid and looked around the cafeteria for Edd. Her eyes immediately fell to the floor as she saw the Eds walk through the double-doors. Her sisters giggled and rose from their seats, but she remained seated. This time, they didn't bother to ask her if she was going to come. They knew that she wasn't going to budge.

Marie watched as they began to mess with the boys. Eddy and Ed were busy being tormented, while Double Dee watched in terror but made no sudden movements. He was scared of her sisters, Marie knew that very well. He crept away as his friends were pushed around and flirted with and took a nearby seat. He opened up his paper sack and peered into it before raising his eyes to her.

Her voice caught in her throat and she couldn't make herself look away at first. Her eyes stayed locked with is; she tried to discern the look that they held. It was close to unreadable, a stop in between confusion and curiosity. She blinked and felt her mouth harden into a thin line, and she averted her eyes back to her stolen apple. She took another large bite and began to chew the apple flesh, making sure she didn't look back at him.

Marie was pleased; now she knew that she was driving him mad. He had looked at her on his own accord, and for once, his face had not held nervousness or fear. He had simply looked for the sake of looking. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and tried not to squeal with happiness as she devoured her apple.

From across the room, Double Dee was having trouble eating. He stared down at his sandwich and fruit. He no longer had any interest in eating. His mind was working hard, trying to deduce this weird situation and make sense of it, but the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. He unwrapped his sandwich slowly. He thought about Marie's stare when her eyes had met his. They looked distant, somewhat analytical.

He wanted to know what was going on so badly, and never had he ever wanted to talk to her so much. He had to figure out the reasoning for her behavior, but at this point the believed that all the deliberation in the world wouldn't give him an answer. He set his sandwich down, unable to concentrate on eating lunch with his mind so uneasy. Double Dee looked back at Marie, who was turned away from him.

She looked somewhat enchanting today, he shamefully admitted to himself. Her rough attitude and demeanor had been replaced with demure and an atypical loveliness. He caught himself admiring her smooth, soft-looking hair and the adorable look her freckles added to her face. Her lips were full and she had dimples when she gave him that carnal look of hers. Her eyes were heavy and very blue, a mischievous twinkle flickering in them.

Double Dee put his face in his hands, cheeks hot and red. He didn't know why he was thinking of Marie in such a way. His blush deepened as he looked back at her, only to find her blue eyes looking back at him. This time, however, her eyes beckoned him, as if daring him to come over there. His palms were damp and clammy as he looked away and began to twiddle his thumbs again. She was flirting, toying with him.

With a burst of intuition, Double Dee understood why she was being so distant. She wasn't sick, she hadn't changed, and she had certainly not forgotten about him. She was doing this on purpose. His random pining for her was what she had been aiming for, and the fact that he had succumbed drove him crazy. Bewildered by this turnabout, he turned away from her and put his face in his hands. In a few short hours, with her bewitching nature and nothing else, Marie had managed to pull feelings out of him he had never wanted to admit he had.

He liked Marie Kanker. He liked the way she always smirked, hardly ever smiled, the way she read magazines about cars, the way she looked at him with those heavy-lidded, blue shadowed eyes. He also had no idea what he was going to do about it. He had never liked a girl that shared his feelings. The sudden intensity and stress of the situation weighed down on him. He didn't know what one did in this situation. He considered asking Eddy, but immediately vetoed that idea. He couldn't tell Eddy he liked Marie Kanker. He would never let him live it down. Feeling optionless, Double Dee let his shoulders slump and moved to grab his sandwich.

"Hey, Sockhead!" Eddy sat down next to him, looking furious. "How about trying to help us next time?"

"I…I'm sorry Eddy," he apologized mechanically. He took a bite and chewed, not wanting to talk much. His thoughts were wearing him out.

"What's the matter with you anyway?"

"…Nothing, Eddy."

The last bell was taking longer than usual to ring, at least that's how it felt to Double Dee. He stared at the clock, unable to concentrate on the lesson, waiting for it to strike three and let him out of the classroom. He wanted to go home, read a book, build something, do something that would take his mind off of Marie and her horrid flirting.

Double Dee raised his hand; he needed some fresh air. The teacher excused him and he hurried to the bathroom. He walked down the halls slowly, breathing in deep. All he wanted was to go home and not see Marie, not think about Marie, and not like Marie. He yearned for when he was blissfully ignorant and scowled at himself as he realized that that time was only yesterday.

He stopped in his tracks as he reached the main hallway where all the lockers were. There, pressed against her locker as if she had never left this morning, stood Marie. She was chewing away at her bubble gum, arms folded across her chest, eyes burrowing straight through him. He swallowed hard and adjusted his bag on his shoulder, trying not to look at her.

Marie sighed and fluttered her eyelids. She knew that her plan had worked; he had never looked at her that way before. She moved away from the lockers and this time, he was stationary. She walked slowly with long steps, looking through him all the while. She looked away and began to drift past him, but she stopped when she called out to her.

"U-um, Marie…are you, uh, feeling well?" he stammered out. She turned around to face him and he backed away a little.

She shrugged; as nonchalant as she looked on the outside, her heart was racing on the inside. "Oh…yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh, um, very well then…that's good to hear…"

"Mhmm."

"Well, I best be…on my way…" Double Dee began, but as he turned to go Marie reached out and grasped his shoulder. He felt his face turn a million shades of red and looked down.

"Uh…thanks for asking," Marie said, and she silently cursed herself. Where was the clever, cunning line she had dreamt of her saying at this part?

"It's the least I can do…" he said slowly. She forced him to turn around and he looked up at her. She had to restrain herself from giggling as she admired his blushing face. He had never looked so flustered, and she was positive it was the cutest thing she had ever seen.

Marie moved her cool hand from his shoulder to his hot face. Her touch made him jump a little. "Yeah," she spoke in a low voice. She ran her tongue over her lips, mouth dry from the anxiety she was experiencing. How many times had she kissed him? Why was this suddenly so hard?

She felt her own face flush as she looked up at him. His eyes were soft and heavy, a look she had never seen him give her. Marie caressed his face, trying to assure herself that this was not another crazy dream. She felt a clammy hand on her bare shoulder and feared for a moment that he was going to shove her away, and she was surprised when he moved her closer.

Double Dee bit his lip and looked away from her, his anxiety getting the better of him. Marie then boldly acted, placing her other hand on his face and turning it to look at her. She smiled a little, that sultry, signature look that he had seen so many times. He didn't shy away when she brushed his skin with her fingertips.

Marie leaned towards him and pressed her red lips against his. She was, for the first time, kissing him gently and tenderly, the way she had always wanted it to be. She half-expected him to shove her away and run in the opposite direction, but he stayed there, shaking and sweating like the nervous boy he was. She was shocked as she felt him wrap his arms around her and pull her close. Their bodies pressed together, locked like their lips, Marie felt the rest of her bare skin grow warm.

Double Dee pressed his mouth against hers and she thought, for one second, that she might just cry. She heard herself giggle quietly, the sound muffled, and Double Dee pulled away as if burned. Marie thought that she had messed things up as he leaned against the wall, face the color of his shirt and palms sweaty. He messed with the knot in his tie and glanced all around. "Um… sorry, Marie, I really…best be…"

"Oh, no you don't," Marie said, more loudly and forceful than she wanted. She grabbed him by the wrist and he tensed. "I mean… I don't…I don't want…"

"I didn't mean to…make a fool of myself," he said in a hushed tone. She frowned at him.

"That wasn't it," she began, knowing that he was embarrassed by her giggle. He still turned to leave and she tightened her grip. "That _really_ wasn't it."

Double Dee turned to look at her and was pounced on. She threw her arms around his neck and planted her lips on his. Startled, he backed into the lockers and held his hands away from her. She didn't hold back and pressed hard against him. With unsteady hands, he placed them on her back slowly. He recalled how much he had disliked her kisses before and suddenly wondered why. He closed his eyes and returned her kiss, mouth pressing back.

A loud _bring_ broke the mood. The two of them released each other as the bell ran loudly, signaling the end of school. Mary crossed her arms and smirked while Double Dee straightened his clothes and looked guilty. The two stood where they were and didn't move until Double Dee's friends came to a stop in front of him.

"Hey, Double Dee, we were wonderin' where you disappeared to!" Eddy said, but he looked away from Double Dee's reddened face to Marie's satisfied one. "Was this Kanker givin' you problems?"

Double Dee's eyes widened as he attempted to lie. "Um, well, not really, Eddy, I mean, I just, I just ran into her on my way back, and she, she, she was just…"

Eddy gave him a strange look and grabbed his arm. "Come on, Sockhead, we got stuff to do and kids to scam."

Double Dee followed his friend and turned to give Marie a quick wave. She only grinned back and leaned against the lockers.

Marie closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. It was by far the best Valentine's Day she had ever had. She bit her lip and felt that she could still taste him on her mouth. She felt her heart soar like those people always sang about and she couldn't help but feel that she had really lucked out.

"Hey, Marie!" May's voice called to her. Her eyes shot open and she saw her sisters grinning at her.

"Oh, May."

"Someone's a little lovey-dovey!" Lee said with a snicker. She placed her hands on her hips and gave a look that suggested she knew what was going on.

"Yeah, we saw!"

"May!" Lee said with a jab at her ribs, "you weren't supposed to let her know!"

May looked dumbfounded and then apologized. Marie smirked at both of them and stuck her tongue out.

"Jealous, huh?"

Her sisters sighed amorously and she giggled. She couldn't believe that she was awake right now, and even if this were a dream, she didn't want to wake up.


	2. Aftermath

**I just thought this deserved some kind of an… epilogue. Enjoy!**

Eddy grabbed his friend roughly by the shirt collar. He looked him in the eye, mouth a firm line, suspicious. "I know what you were doin' with Marie."

Double Dee yelped as he was jerked forward. "Oh, um, Eddy, I'm sure it's not what you think it is… we, were, um, I-I just c-caught her in the ha-hallway, and…" Double Dee's lying skills were lackluster, since he had had no practice prior to this moment. His face was a deep shade of crimson and he was barely sputtering out his words.

"You were kissin' her," Eddy said. He raised one eyebrow, bemused. His expression was daring Double Dee to challenge his words.

Double Dee looked down at his friend in silence for a moment, groping for words that would make this situation easier. For once, he found himself at a loss and, out of embarrassment, yanked his hat over his eyes and ears. He didn't want to see anything right now.

"Ha!" Eddy laughed out as he let go of him. "I was right! You were kissin' a Kanker! _Marie Kanker!_" He was bent over from the laughter as he coughed out, "W-who are you and what have you done with Double Dee!"

Double Dee readjusted his hat and gazed at Eddy, who was still snickering. "Eddy…it…I don't…" He seemed to coil farther into himself.

Eddy regained his composure and glanced over at his friend. "I don't know how you even stomached it."

Double Dee's mouth turned down sharply; he felt a pang of protectiveness over Marie in his chest. "Eddy, she's not a disease."

"Says you, Casanova," Eddy jeered. "You're the one lip-locking with a Kanker. Obviously you don't know what's going on anymore." This sent him into another fit of giggles.

Double Dee began to speak but stopped. He didn't know what to say to his friend; they had all collectively despised the Kankers. He figured that this turn of events had to be shocking. He was still blushing and feeling light-headed from that afternoon's events, so he couldn't really expect support. "I don't… really… understand this myself, Eddy," he admitted slowly.

Eddy smoothed back his hair with one hand. "How's it gonna be? Are the Kankers just gonna ambush us and you and Marie are just gonna start makin' out and leave me and Ed to be tortured?"

"Of course not, Eddy!" Double Dee protested, taken aback. His mind began to think about what the following days were going to be like. He had not been able to think very well since his encounter with Marie. What would they do? Were they a couple now?

"Right, right," Eddy mumbled. He drew lines in the dirt with his toe and didn't look up at him. "I mean… I don't even know how you could…"

"It's not like I expected…"

"I didn't expect it either."

Double Dee could see that this was affecting Eddy in a different way than he expected. It was as if he had broken some kind of boundary or bond. The Eds hated the Kankers; Double Dee dating a Kanker didn't work with that. "I really do like her, Eddy…"

Eddy crossed his arms. "That's so wrong…"

"Eddy, please try to be more understanding…" Double Dee grew anxious; he did not want to upset his friend in this.

Eddy looked at the ground thoughtfully. He was quiet for a minute and then looked back up at Double Dee. "Just try to make this as…not weird as possible, Sockhead."

Double Dee felt a small smile creep across his face.

**XXX**

The sky was battleship gray and the weather was chillier than usual. Marie zipped up her hoodie and kept her hands in her pockets all the way to school. She could feel a small flame inside of her, though, keeping her warm. She was still in a euphoric state from yesterday. Sure, she had gotten a lot of girly, sisterly teasing from her sisters, but that had given way to prying and jealousy. She had gotten to brag about how she got the "cute Ed" and an Ed at all, for that matter. She was walking on air and for once in her life, Marie wanted to go to school.

The old, brown building that was Peach Creek Jr. High could not have come into sight sooner. Marie almost wanted to break out into a run and throw herself through the doors, but not even requited love could make her act that way towards a school building. Instead she pushed silently through the doors and slipped in as she usually did, then waited by her locker for the sound of Edd's voice.

Edd himself was on his way to his locker, eyes stuck to the floor. He felt so awkward and unsure; he didn't know what to expect this morning. Would Marie publicly throw herself on him? For a moment he thought that such an act wouldn't be so bad, but he dismissed that when he considered the attention it would draw.

Double Dee collected his books from his locker and shut the door. He turned the next corner and saw Marie in all her glory lazing about her own locker, a bored expression printed across her features. He bit his lip and felt a foreign tingle of excitement as he looked at her.

Marie caught him looking at her and gave him her mischievous smile. He took this as a command to come over, and he followed her unspoken directions. He stopped in front of her and swallowed hard, not sure what to do.

She didn't say anything, just looked at him with those smoldering eyes. Her hand reached down towards her pocket and she extracted an apple. Double Dee felt a shiver of relief come over him as he realized that she wasn't going to jump on him.

"Morning, Oven Mitt," she cooed.

"Oh, um, yes. Morning." He was hoping that he would learn to stutter less when in her presence.

She grinned at him. "So," Marie began casually. He looked at her expectantly but she said nothing, only reached to finger his sweater with her free hand.

It felt strange to have her touch him, and he wasn't entirely sure how to react. Double Dee was silent for a moment before speaking up. "So, Marie…um, what are we to, um… do?" He waited for her to give some kind of an answer, but she didn't give any clues to what she was thinking. She was already being a walking puzzle.

Marie took a bite out of her apple, a light pink stain smeared on the exposed white flesh of the fruit; he momentarily wished he were an apple. "I've got an idea of what we can do," she said after swallowing. Her eyebrow cocked up and her mouth pulled into a carnal smile.

Double Dee felt a bead of sweat run down his neck. He'd have to get used to her openness, and he'd have to get used to liking it. The chills came back as she ran her hand up his arm. "Ohuh… " was all he managed to choke out.

She tossed her apple into a trash bin and squeezed his arm. "Yeah," Marie said, appearing totally at ease. She draped her arm across his shoulder and wrapped the other around his waist. She apparently had a very clear idea of what she wanted to do.

"Ehm," Double Dee sputtered as he saw fellow students beginning to file into the building. Marie looked to see a few people staring at them strangely, and with that, she pulled him even closer and their eyes locked into a stare.

"Don't worry so much," was all she said before pressing her mouth to his. He felt a fire set beneath his skin that wasn't only from embarrassment. He felt weird staring at her when her eyes were closed and she was kissing him, so he shut them quickly and tried not to think about the audible sounds of shock her heard and the stares he felt.

She tasted so sweet, like a guilty pleasure. Her hips were pressed against his and her body was warm. Double Dee could feel his own mouth pressing back, working against hers, and his hands sliding around her slender waist. When they broke apart, Marie did something unexpected. She laid her head on his collarbone, a tender move indeed, and he smiled.

"That's just gross," the voice of Kevin mumbled, and for once, Double Dee did not care whatsoever.


End file.
